Releasing-hook mechanism.



' L. H. & M. H. ROBINSON.

RELEASING HOOK MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV; 27. ms.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

L. H. & M H. ROBINSON.

RELEASING HOOK MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILD NOV. 27. 1916.

1,246,468. Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- UNXTED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

LESLIE HAMPTON ROBINSON AND MARK HEATON RGIBINSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RELEASING-HOOK MEGHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13,1911 7';

Application filed November 27, 1916. Serial No. 133,714.

To all who/1a it may concern: 7

as it known thatLnsLm HAMPTON ROBIN so and Mann Humor: Roernsox, sub JBCIS ot the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Releasingiiook Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to improvements in, or relating to the construction of releasing hooks, or gear, for use on cranes and t'ur like purposes; the invention is of especial application to the lowering and releasot ships boats.

The objects of the invention are, firstly, to construct a hook which will not allow of release until the object lowered is safely landed, (in the case of a boat until the boat is completely water-borne at both ends); secondly to arrange that there-lease may then take place at any desired moment, either at once, or after an interval, by a definite movement of the parts'of the apparatus under external control, so that when once this movement is made the hook and the object supported are completely separated and cannot re'efngage; and thirdly, to arrange, in the case of a boat, that the hooks are instantly (and simultaneously) made ready for reengagement at anytime desired, without requirin any manipulation of the hooks themselves.

According to this invention, a tumbling or partially rotating hook is so formed that,

by means of a system of links and levers constituting approximately a parallel motion, the hook is rotated when the latter is released from strain, and further, by means of an extension of one of the links, the ring, or sling which has previously supported the weight is pushed oii' from the hook at the same time, the arrangement being such that while the weight is suspended, the hook cannot rotate. w

A mousing appliance of the tumbling type is also employed, which makes uniir tentional release impossible until the hook has been rotated by the action of the link, and in the case of a boat-suspension gear two sets of such hook mechanism may be employed with suitable connecting rods, or lines, with such lever mechanism as shall enable the controlling relcasing links of the two gears to be operated simultaneously from one end of the boat.

The accompanying drawings representthe apparatus with the hook either downward or upward, according as to whether it 1s applied to a crane, where it is desirable that the gear should remain upon the crane chain and not come away with the object lowered, or to a boat, where the apparatus most conveniently forms part of the boat fittings and remains in the boat after disengagement.

Figure 1 is a side view showing the in vention adapted for use as a crane hook;

Figs. 2, 3, and a are side views showing the invention adapted for attachment to the weight to be lifted, such as a boat, the mechanism being shown in three diflerent positions;

F 1g. 5 is an end view of Fig. 2 looking :trom the left;

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a modificationot the tumbler illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 shows an application Wlllh. the controlling lever moved by a bell crank operated'by two lines in the plane of the hook;

and

Fig. 7 illustrates a boat suspended two gears substantially of the pattern shown in Fig. 2, with tllGcOIinGCtlOD between them formed by a rod along the bottom of the boat,

In all cases'lV is the ring or shackle or.

other form of sling which engages with the hook.

The hook is approximately of the form shown at A in Figsjl to '5, which tumbles or revolves upon the p n 1. The pin 1 is;

carried by the'frame of the apparatus, consisting of two plates (ofwhich one only, marked B, is shown in the diagrams) or' by an equivalent forging upon the end of a rod or kcelbolt.

he position of the hook A is determined by a pair of links C, one on each side of the strain is transmitted from the weight being lowered" to the crane, or equivalent lowering apparatus.

The links C are prolonged as at 0, with the object shown in Figs. 3 ands, which represent the hook in the act of being to volved or tumbled in order to release an object no longer requiring support. V

In Fig. 3, under a pull upon the links C applied in the direction of the arrow, the hook haspart'ially rotated, and the ring or shackle (or other form of sling) IV is being pushed away by c from engagement with the'hook A. In Fig. 4 it has been pushed wholly out of engagement and cannot possibly reengage with the hook through any accidental cause. Upon release, W is not only free to slip off the hook, but is compelled to do so.

It is obvious that while the weight of the object being lowered depends from the hook, the latter cannot be revolved or tumbled, if of the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2 without raising the load relatively to the sup porting chain or tackle. The pull upon the links 0 required to effect this would be great, and would be rendered much greater by the friction of the ring upon the hook as 0 pushes it off. If 0 is moved only by manual power it is therefore impossible to release IV while any object of considerable weight is suspended by it. So soon as the weight of the object is carried otherwise than through W a very slight power will move 0 and rotate the hook, and a still smaller power will suflice to restore'it to its original position after release.

Accidental or premature unhooking is prevented by the hook being moused or closed by the lever or mousing tumbler E, which rotates upon the pin 1, and moves in a space slotted out from the body of the hookA. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the hook A, seen edgewise, and shows the slot .in which the mousing tumbler E is free to swing;

In Fig. 2, E is kept in position by a preponderance of weight in its lower end, which holds a stop or projection F against the edge of the frame plates B, between which it is unable to enter. The hook is closed by E, and the ring or shackle IV cannot be removed from it except by the rotation of the hook under the controlled movement of link-C.

If, however, it is for any reason necessary to unhook by hand, the lower end of E (Fig. 2) can be moved outward by hand along the line 7'. The upper end of E then swings on the line G, clearing the ring \V,

and the latter'can be immediately removed by hand. a

Themousing' E offers no obstruction to.

hooking on at any time, because the pressure of the ring against E in the act of entering the ring in the hook causes E to swing clear along the are 9 (Fig. 2), thus permitting engagement.

As an alternative, the singlemousing tum-.

bler E may be replaced by two mousing plates as shown in Fig. 5 in this case one' plate is located on each side of the hook A,.

working either in spaces left between the shank of the hook and the frame plates 13, B, or on the outside of the frame plates. The two mousing plates both rotate upon the pin '1, or upon extensions of it outside the plates. In either case the shank of the book A is made solid; no slot is required in it. The two mousing plates, as shown (just inside the frame plates) in Fig. 5 are tied together by a: and 3 by riveted pins,

or bars, which not only oblige the plates to move together. but impose the necessary limits upon their travel by cominginto contact (as tom) withthe shank of the hook, or (as to y) with the frame plates B, B.

'In Fig. 1, where the hook hangs downward, gravity is not'so readily available to keep the moving tumbler in proper position.

Moreover, slack in the crane chain after the load is landed might allow the frame and hook to fallout of the vertical position, and

so defeat any attempt to regulate the posie,,either for pulling back the hook and so releasing IV, or for restoring the hook afterward to the sustaining pos1t1onmay vary according to circumstances. The link C may be moved directly by arigid rod, as M in Fig.2, capable both of pulling and pushing.

Or the link D may be prolonged as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines inFig. 2. In the case of a crane-lock, hand lines depending from J or K, or both, may give the necessary movement to C and to the hook, or the movement may be imparted from above, by pulling upward upon K. Or the link D may be modified into a bell: crank, as in Fig. '6, enabling the link 0 to be controlled by two lines in the same plane as the plane of movement of D.

A special application of the. crane pat tern, Fig.1, is to the lowering of aeroplanes (sea-planes, which have floats like boats).

from ships into the'water. Hereitis desirabl that the releasing gear, whatever its nature. should not have to be carried away with the plane; also that the plane may lie safely alongside, attached to the ship, until required to be released, notwithstanding that, owing to the rise and fall of the plane upon moderate waves the hook and its frame may assume positions in which themousing tumbler .cannot be kept in proper position I by'grav'ity- The spring control H of thetumbler is therefore essential. -Controlof. thelink C is adequately given by one short hand-line depending from J, which serves for release by the occupant of the sea-plane. Preparation for hooking-on so as to be ready upon the return of the plane would be made on boardthe ship. Release may also be effected from the ship by pulling upward upon K.

An important application of the pattern shown in Fig. 2 is to the release of boats lowered from ships, and suspended by a hook at each end, the movement of the links C in each case being preferably simultaneous.

Fig. 7 shows a boat suspended by two gears substantially of the pattern shown in Fig. '2, but with the links I) formed as bellcranks. The after hook is released (or reinstated as the case may be) by the direct pull of a striking rod N, moved either by a handle or a lever at C. N also moves a lever P, which turnsupon a fulcrum at It carried by the link 0, or by a fixed bracket at tached to the structure of the boat. The movement of P pulls or pushes the rod S, the other end of which engages with a bellcrank upon the gear at the fore end of the boat. Pulling upon the handle (or lever) O releases both hooks simultaneously, provided the boat is then water-borne at both ends. If either end is still suspended the lever O cannot be moved, and no movement of the rods or bell-cranks can take place. Therod S is adequately protected against fouling and injury, and it is supported and guided at intervals.

Material advantages of this invention are that it retains the ordinary form of a hook, easy to hook on to, or to unhook by hand if that is for any reason desirable; that it is incapable of release by accident, or until the release movement is deliberately made; (for instance, a boat lying alongside a ship is in no danger of unhooking accidentally due to the wave motion) and that the mousing appliance, while preventing accidental unhooking, offers no obstruction to hooking on.

It is obvious that many changes and variations in the details of construction and arrangement would readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art, and still fall within the nature and scope of this invention. IVhile, therefore, we have shown and described various specific constructions and arrangements as operative embodiments of the principle of our invention, we do not desire to be limited or restricted thereto; but

Having now set forth the object and nature of our invention and forms of apparatus embodying the same, and, having explained its construction, function, and mode of operation, what we desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a releasing hook mechanism, the combination of a frame, a hook pivoted thereon, and controlling means adapted to partially rotatethe hook on its, pivot, and a lever pivoted on the hook and actuated by lever extension connected to the controlling.

means, the movement of thelever extension being complementary to that of the hook and causing the former to pass over the mouth of the hook for the purpose of pushing off a suspension shackle or the like,

thereon.

3. In a releasing hook mechanism, the combination of a frame, a hook pivoted thereon, controlling means operating approximately as a parallel motion to partially rotate the hook on its pivot, a lever extension connected to the controlling means, and means for reciprocating the said lever extension, whereby the complementary movements of the hook and the leverQextension cause the latter to pass across the mouth of the hook and push off any suspension shackle or the like thereon.

4. In a releasing mechanism, the combination of a frame, ahook pivoted thereon, a mousing tumbler pivoted on the hook pivot, but within the said frame and controlled so as normally to mouse orfill the mouth of the hook until pushed inward, a limit stop on the tumbler preventing it opening outward from the mouth of the hook at any time, controlling means adapted to partially rotate the hook on its pivot, and a lever pivoted on the hook and actuated by the said controlling means to exert a doubleacting retractive effect on the suspension member.

5. In a releasing hook mechanism, the combination of a frame having plate sides, ahook pivoted therebetween, controlling links pivoted at one end on the hook, an intermediate link connecting the frame and the other end of the controlling links and forming with the hook connection approximately a parallel motion with the center-line of the said frame, lever extensions on the controlling links atthe hook end, and means connected to the intermediate link for turning it about its pivot.

6. In a. releasing hook mechanism, the combination of a frame having plate or forked sides, a hook pivoted therebetween, a. mousing tumbler rotating about the hook pivot a limit stop thereon abutting against a part of the frame, controlling links pivoted at one end on the hook, an intermediate link connecting the frame and the controlling links and forming with the hook connection approximately a parallel motion With the center-line of the said frame, lever extensions on the controlling links adapted to pass across the mouth of the hook, and a rod adapted to turn the intermediate link and its connections about its pivot on the frame. s

7. In releasing hook mechanism for lowering boats, a hook mechanism at both ends of the boat, each comprising, a frame connected to the boat, a hook pivoted on the said frame, controlling mechanism adapted to partially rotate the hook on its pivot, the shape of the hook and its pivot location being such as to render it incapable of rotation in the ordinary Way while the Weight of the boat remains suspended at either end, a bollcrank lever on the controlling means, a striking rod attached to the bell-crank lever at one end of the boat, and a pivoted lever and connecting rods connecting the said striking rod with the bell-crank lever at the other end of the boat.

8. In releasin hook mechanism for 10wering boats, a hook mechanism at both ends of the boat each comprising, a frame, or rod having" forked ends, connected to the boat, a hook pivoted on the said frame, a mousing tumbler provided with a limit stop in one direction, controlling links pivoted on the hook at one end, a bell-crank lever pivoted on the frame and connected to the other end of the controlling links so as to form with the hook connection approximately a parallel motion With the center-line of thesaid frame, lever extensions on the control- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner ling links adapted to sweep across the month of the hook, a striking rod connected to theother end of the bell-crank lever at one end" of the boat, and a pivoted lever and connecting rods connecting the said striking rods with the bell-crank lever at the other end of the boat.

9. In releasing hook mechamsm for lowering beats, a hook mechanism at both ends;

of the boat, each comprising, upright frame rods attached to a bracket in the bottom of the boat, a hook pivoted between the said frame rods at their upper end, double controlling rods pivoted on the said hook and having lever extensions projecting above the pivot and downwardly extending below the pivot parallel with the frame rods, a bellboat and connecting the end of the depending lever with the bell-crank lever of the second hook mechanism at the other end of the boat, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth. r

In testimony whereof We afliX our signatures.

LESLIE HAMPTON ROBINSON. MARK HEATON ROBINSON.

of Eatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

